


Agony's Best Friend

by FudoTwin17



Series: Agony [1]
Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Abuse, F/M, I hear dead people, Mental Illness, The voices are speaking to me, Torture, Unrealistic Medical Issues, crap writing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 02:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8872603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FudoTwin17/pseuds/FudoTwin17
Summary: What if Robin didn't escape when Slade tried to force him to be his apprentice? Already in agony from abandonment from Batman and horrific loss in Gotham, he has to face Slade as his master. But what if the Teen Titans were going to bring a friend from the past to help him?





	1. Dynamic Duos

Slade emerged out of the shadows where he had been thrown by a burst of energy from an extremely scary alien. He glared at them for interrupting him in forcing his dominance on Robin. He stalked toward his rebellious pupil, "Robin, attack!"

Robin turned helplessly, "Get out of here! Go! You don't know what those beams did to you-"

"Dude-" Beast Boy began, but was interrupted by slade.

"Too Late." He pressed the button.

They collapsed in the darkness, not afraid of the pain, but of losing Robin again.

"Robin, come. Or I will finish them off." Slade said calmly, a smile clear in his voice.

Robin took a deep breath, "No."

He glanced at the maker of his problems: The reactor. But it gave him away.

Slade had him on the ground in a second, keeping Robins hands pinned behind his back. Robin grimaced in pain.

"Slade." His utter hatred for him was obvious in his voice, but Slade was oblivious to it.

"My boy, you work too hard. Any longer and your friends will die. Do you really want that?" Slade mocked sadness coolly, with his mask right next to Robin's ear.

A second was all Slade needed, and he had gotten it. Robin relaxed, resigning to his fate. Slade got what he wanted.

"Good." He let Robin up.

"Robin." Starfire whispered

"I'm sorry." He looked away.

"Robin?" Slade called impatiently.

"Coming . . . Master." Just like that, they were gone with the pain.

"Robin." Starfire whispered, "ROBIN!"

"Star . . . ."

 

 

 

The Teen Titans sat in their meeting room with a gloomy atmosphere slowly picking away at them as they removed the tiny machines from their blood cells. Never had they been so . . . utterly defeated. Hurt. Miserable. Anguished.

Never had they realized how bad this situation was. Or at least until they lost Robin.

Robin. That was their new word for anguish beyond any words.

"Think there's any way to get him back?" Cyborg muttered after he had debugged everyone.

It was quiet, but after a moment, the others started talking.

"We can't go after him. We'll always lose the fight." Raven looked away, wishing she could do something.

"We don't even know where they are." Beast Boy whined uncomfortably.

"Well, maybe Robin has other friends that would help us." Starfire pointed out.

"But how are we supposed to know who they are? He didn't like to talk about his past . . . ." Cyborg sighed.

"Then we check his room." Raven replied, "If we can do nothing else, then we can at least tell a friend."

They stared at her at the uncharacteristic act she proposed they do. She sunk deeper into her cloak when there was a silence.

"Raven," Beast Boy gasped, "That's . . . amazing!

They all agreed. They were all edgy when they reached his room, though. Starfire gently pushed open the door into the shadows of his room. There were newspaper articles taped to the walls. Everywhere.

"Well, find something that didn't occur since we knew him along with something from another city." Cyborg said as if they didn't know what they were looking for and weren't already searching.

"Gotham." Beast Boy whispered quietly, which was really not something he did a lot.

"What?" Starfire asked.

"Gotham. It's where he came from, or at least he stayed there for a while." They stared at him, "When we first set up a . . . base here, I found a newspaper article that . . . wasn't from around here. I asked him about it and he told me he liked to keep a piece of home with him. I-I think he carries it around with him. It's his . . . good luck charm."

They stared at him for a second, then got back to work. After hours of fruitless, or rather article-less, work Raven fell on his bed.

"This isn't getting us anywhere!" She yelled, frustrated, then opened her eyes, "What?"

"Raven?" Cyborg asked.

She stood, and let a shadow hand flip the mattress. Underneath was a normal sized metal box . . . that just so happened to be locked.

Beast Boy picked it up and shook it up and down. He nodded, "Definitely newspaper clippings."

"Okay." Starfire said as she picked it up. She pried it open with her super human strength.

Raven picked up the newspaper clippings inside, "These are about a Batman and Robin."

Cyborg and Beast Boy's jaws dropped, "Batman!"

While Cyborg and Beast Boy fought over the clipping carefully, Star picked up another with raven looking over her shoulder.

"Robin looks so . . . happy." She whispered.

"We'll find him." Raven replied.

It was different. The article showed a real smile. One they only saw on celebrations, buts still not as big.

"Batman! But how are we supposed to contact him if we don't know his identity?" Cyborg asked.

Raven plucked another article from the box, "'Millionaire Bruce Wane Takes in Orphan'." That caught their attention, "'After Two Face, a notorious criminal, took an entire circus hostage, with millionaire Bruce Wane and many others in attendance, he played games. A bomb, a trapeze group, and a madman caused mayhem. He took the lives of all but the youngest of the trapeze family, Dick Grayson. The rest of his family, his parents, brother, and sister, were all murdered before even Batman himself could save them."

It was quiet.

"A-at least we know who Batman is." Beast Boy whispered.

Everyone that day was being uncharacteristic.

 

 

 

Except Slade.

"Go. Sleep off your wounds."

"Yes,  _Master._ " Robin choked. He hated calling him that, but it was becoming easier. It made Robin wonder whether or not it meant he would become like a slave, no a slave. He was already like a slave.

Robin turned and walked away.

Slade would always be Slade. He chose another clock tower, but this time, he winced every time he looked out the window. Robin had spent so many bad times . . . and good times here. The good times were harder to accept.

He knew that was the reason they were there.

Because Robin would rather be dead than back in this place. It gave Slade too much control.

He reached his room. He changed into easier clothes to be in, skipping out on a shirt when there were only full body outfits.

He pulled a small crumpled up paper out of the pocket of his original outfit. It was a photograph, not a article, of Robin, no, Dick, Barbara, Alfred, and . . . Bruce.

Barbara, Batgirl, whatever, had left shortly before Bruce . . . .

She was probably happy. Alfred was still good old Alfred and helped Bruce - wince – with everything Batman. The rest of the titans were safe. Everyone but Robin was happy. That was good enough for Robin.

He laid down.

That was alright with him. He'd forfeited his future anyways. No use crying over it now.

So Robin simply lived angrily. Actually, it wasn't even good enough to be called a life. It was just existence.

Just like Slade wanted.

 


	2. Written Woes and Burning Brawns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had recognized the hand writing, but . . .
> 
> There that topic was again. Robin.

Bruce walked away from his assistant chief. He had informed him what had caused the hold up for one of his get togethers. It had to due with a robbery from a private sum of money that he had made right before Robin was fired.

Only a select few people had known about it: Alfred, of course, Robin, Bruce, it was his money, and the group of people who's jobs it depended on to guard the money. It couldn't be Bruce or Alfred. And those people wouldn't risk their jobs for it. Robin . . . .

Bruce didn't know about Robin. But he wasn't the type to just throw away all his morals. Actually, he took his morals serious enough to go to far, but he would never steal something. Not anymore.

But he couldn't focus on that now. While he had been told the bad news, he got a tip off that an acid scientists were working on that could eat through anything was going to be stolen that night at midnight.

He had recognized the hand writing, but . . .

There that topic was again. Robin.

 

 

 

Robin ran down the hallway carefully. It was his job to retrieve some dangerous acid for Slade. Either way, Robin just couldn't seem to care. He had burned out. Slade wasn't going to get any resistance for a little while. Just until he got will to fight again. Just until then.

Robin jumped over a guard and kicked the one behind him. They tripped over each other and made themselves a barrier for the other guards.

Robin smiled out of habit. He didn't even enjoy it: It was just something he did.

He slipped into an empty lab and scanned a few files, looking for the objective. His reason for being alive.

To slave for Slade.

The dark room's door slammed closed. Robin frowned. He knew what was coming.

He turned, although there wasn't a sound from behind him since the door slammed, and smiled an empty grin.

"Hey, Batman. Long time no see." He felt empty, like he was going to fall dead any moment. He had wondered what seeing Batman again would do to him. Now he would know.

Batman stepped into the light and stared at Robin.

"Who are you?"

"It's sad you can't even remember me."

_"Robin!" Slade's calm voice rang in his ear, "That's enough."_

"I know you can't be Robin. He would never become a criminal."

"He never wanted to be."

_"Robin, I'm warning you-"_

"Then why is he?" Batman's voice was soft, just like he used to talk to Robin when he had a bad day after school.

"He never had any choice." Robin stood completely still, not even in a fighting stance as the black knight interrogated him.

Batman eyed Robin. He couldn't just let him take something so important, no matter what his feelings for the boy were. But he wouldn't let him be a reporter's way to a raise. Batman chose to knock him out. Force him to see sense, but it would be different. Batman would just talk to him.

Right before Batman was about to make his move, bright blue electricity raced along Robin's body. He weakly collapsed to his knees.

_"I told you. Now, come back immediately." Slade said._

"Yes, Master." Robin whispered.

"Master? Robin, are you alright?" Batman grabbed Robin's shoulders, revealing all his weak spots to the enemy who knew them by heart.

_"Attack, Robin."_

Batman saw the warning look Robin gave him, and the deliberately slow attack that Batman quickly dodged. But after the warning, he was fighting for real.

"Robin! Why are you attacking me? And who did you call master?"

Robin smiled at Batman as he remembered every little thing that he had done to make him smile. Everything. Robin was attached to Batman more than to anyone else. He was like a little dog that followed him every where he went.

Robin felt tears race down his smiling face, "Why did you take me in? Did you feel bad for me? Did it improve your social status? Was that it?"

_"Shut up, Robin. Talking doesn't do either of us any good. Get what you came for and get out!" Slade yelled._

Robin felt his will to live slowly returning, but angering his captor wasn't going to do anything but get him in another fight he'd have to forfeit.

"No, Robin. I felt responsible. I had more than enough to give you and I thought I could help you. Besides, I liked you as a person, not a media spotlight." Batman wasn't the best at voicing his feelings, but he couldn't watch Robin suffer. Robin was his kid!

"Then why send me away. I told you where I was going. You could've sent a card. Anything was better than nothing."

"I didn't want to hurt you more. You didn't see the pain-"

_"He's lying to you, Robin. You're still hurt and he sees nothing in you that he wants anymore. That's why he doesn't send cards. That's why he doesn't call. He doesn't care." Slade said in a convincing voice._

Unfortunately, this time, Robin didn't believe Batman.

"It's sad I tipped you off, Batman. All you seem to do is lie to my face."

And Robin was gone with the files and the acid. Where no one could see, Batman fell to the ground and pounded the floor.

 

 

 

Bruce Wane had just sat down after he got back form his 'meeting'. Just relaxing his body, while his mind was curling up in the fetus position. Robin.

It had to be right then that Alfred walked in, "Sir, you have a few visitors."

Bruce sighed, "Thank you, Alfred. Let them in."

"Yes, sir." Said the kind old man as Bruce remembered a cold hard voice whispering fearfully.

 _Yes, Master._  Bruce wanted to do many things to that monster that Robin was so afraid of.

_Yes, Monster._

Starfire stood in front of him, "Mr. Wane, we're sorry to be a burden, but-"

"We need your help." Beast Boy begged, already on his knees. Mr. Wane was surprised, not to see the boy on the floor, though he might've, if the boy hadn't been green. He smiled at Beast Boy.

"Please, all of you, have a seat. Be comfortable. Now continue."

"We think you know our friend." Cyborg began.

"It's Robin." Raven got right to the point.

Bruce stiffened.  _Yes, Master. Yes, Monster._

 

 

 

Robin stood facing the masked man who sat facing away from him. He showed no fear, but he waited for the punishment in a slightly scared awe. He waited for a beating while his hands and feet were tied together, or more electricity. Maybe it would be more along the lines of permanently scaring him like he suspected Slade was.

"Robin." The voice was cool. Collected.

"Slade." Robin replied, knowing that he would pay for it.

Naturally, Slade replied in anger. Blue electricity arced across his body. Robin fell to the ground, wishing he had stayed in the laboratory longer. Wishing Batman . . . .

"Who am I?" Slade asked smoothly.

"Master." It utterly defeated Robin to say it so normally, even as the electricity caused him so much pain.

"Good." The electricity stopped.

Robin breathed a shaky breath as he stood, awaiting the punishment from the first offense he committed.

"Remove your mask."

Robin didn't comprehend, "What?"

"Remove your mask."

Robin was quiet. Without the mask, he wasn't Robin. He was a poor orphan who's father abandoned him as soon as he was out of high school. Pathetic.

"Now." Slade's voice was angry now.

"Yes, Master." Robin felt ashamed when his voice broken.

His hands shook when he took off his mask. Slade held out his hand for it. Robin brokenly handed it to him.

"Good." Slade smiled, "When you're older you'll see how this helped you. Maybe see me in a different light."

Robin knew what he was getting at, "I have a father." It wasn't as confident as the first time he had said it, but he meant it. Even in light of a recent event.

"It didn't sound like it."

"Every family has it's problems." Robin gave a slight smile.

"Yes, it seems so." Slade turned away from robin, "Rest now. Tomorrow will be harder."

"Yes, Master." Robin turned away. In every reflection he saw his brokenness through his eyes. His brown, brown eyes.

He wasn't Robin anymore. He was Dick Grayson. Jason Todd? Dick Grayson?

He didn't know anymore.


	3. Guilty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breaking him would take longer, but he could do it.
> 
> He was the world's greatest and best manipulator.

Robin laid on his bed quietly. His brain seemed to hurt. It felt like five different personalities had been shoved inside his one body. He rubbed his aching temple.

 _This is pretty bad. Or, at least what I've seen is bad._ One upbeat voice said. It sounded like Tim, but Robin wasn't sure. It felt like he was thinking it. Whenever one of them spoke it felt like he was thinking it.

 _Duh, it's bad! Come on, idiot, survey it all together. It is bad!_ Damian. It couldn't be anybody else.

 _Boys, shut up. We need a plan._ That sure sounded like Stephanie. She seemed agitated, maybe even unnerved. That was a startling change, especially considering she was all in his mind. They all were.

 _Oh, yeah, like arguing with my separate personalities is going to do me any good._ Dick Grayson. He knew that was Dick Grayson. He suddenly wondered who he really was. This was going to get confusing, not that it hadn't already been.

 _Come on! We need a game plan! We can't let this guy win! He's just like any other bad guy! We'll clobber him!_ That was definitely Jason. No questions asked.

 _You're wrong there. Slade-_ they all mentally flinched- _is the worst villain we have ever come across. Worse than Freeze, worse than Ivy, worse than Joker._ Grayson felt a little bad after he had stated that considering how Jason had gone.

Sensing his thoughts, Jason piped up.  _Don't go there. No pity. I knew what I was getting myself into. We all did._

 _This guy is dangerous though._  Stephanie pointed out before silence could befall them.  _He's the type of guy that Bats would lock us in the cave kicking and screaming before he would let us fight._ She completely ignored Grayson's wave of emotion when she thought of Bruce.

 _What can we do? We just need to do as Slade says. It'll keep us alive and our friends alive._ That voice could only belong to Damian. He was too comfortable admitting it.

 _You can't just bottle up your emotions like you can when you're Robin, Grayson._ He was again compelled to wonder if he was Dick.  _You need to share or you're going to go insane. Trust me, I know._ It was Tim's voice.

 _How am I supposed to share?_ He sounded mad. He could feel anger. It was possible that was his thought.

 _Well, start with how you feel about your friends continuously in danger._ Stephanie told him, sounding unsure. She wasn't used to helping others out with their emotions.

 _Okay._ He began sarcastically.  _I'm perfectly fine with putting my friends in danger of death every five seconds if I make a stupid decision like going after the bad guy while my team does the work of trying to save the city from permanent time freeze, because I had to be the hero in catching this freak._

 _That's good. You're learning how to vent, sort of._ Jason. Only he could see things in that light.

 _Okay, next topic, Grayson. How do you feel about your mom and dad dying?_ Damian asked.

 _What does that have to do with anything?_  His voice was much more defensive than before. The topic brought pain and depression. It hurt. Was he really Grayson?

 _I think the problem is deeper than your friends safety. It goes way past that._ Damian stated.

 _He's right._ Tim agreed.  _You've never been happy since . . . you know._

 _Get it off your chest. You need to._ Jason added.

Skulking, Robin almost growled out loud. Sometimes he really hated his mind. A LOT!  _What am I supposed to say? I watched them fall. I ran to their sides, yelling at them to get up. I had just had an argument with my sister. My brother took her side. I had yelled at my parents when they tried to intervene. Then I was the only one who survived. How would that make you feel?_ He felt the searing pain rip through his chest. Was he really Grayson?

 _What about Bruce taking you in?_ Jason asked.

 _I . . . I didn't like it._ The voice stated calmly.

 _Why not?_ Tim asked, too excited to be speaking in this kind of situation.

 _It felt like he was trying to replace my dad._ His voice was ashamed.  _I was thankful for being taken out of Juvenile Detention, but it didn't feel right, even if he was a good man._ He flinched. They all did really. None of them could keep out the feelings of another.

 _When you found out about Batman?_ Stephanie pressed.

 _I was excited. I had a real hero help me, save me, from my real life._ His voice was cold, especially in his head. Was the body owner actually Grayson?

 _When you became Robin?_ Damian tacked on.

 _I was happy. I was going to end the pain. For good. I was going to carry on my family's legacy and help people. I was going to be more than some orphan. I was going to be the boy wonder._ His voice was still cold, even if it had taken up a lighter tone.

 _When you left Batman?_ Tim questioned.

_I was angry. I wanted him to give me a chance. I wanted to be more than a sidekick. I wanted to be my own person._

_When I died?_ Jason.

_Guilty._

_When I died?_ Tim.

_Guilty._

_When I died?_ Stephanie.

_Guilty._

_When I died?_ Damian.

_Guilty._

_Guilty._

_Guilty._

_When you-_

_Turned criminal-_

_Hurt your friends-_

_Almost killed-_

_Hurt your friends-_

_When you became Slade's apprentice?_

Robin felt himself lose track of which voice had said what. All he knew was how defenseless, hurt, alone, and weak he was. He had failed everyone. Starfire, Beast Boy, Stephanie, Jason, Cyborg, Tim, Raven, Damian, himself . . . .

Bruce.

_Bruce._

_Bruce._

He sighed. Bruce only cared for Robin. He had replaced him many times. He hadn't come after him when he went to Jump. He didn't care.

Robin decided never to care about Bruce's opinions ever again.

His decision was flawed.

 

 

 

Slade's one eye watched the screen intently. He had been doing previous work, but when he looked at the screen, he was immediately assaulted by a strange occurrence.

Every few seconds, the boy's eyes would change color.

A deep, guilty blue was on his face that present moment. His facial features were pained, but impassive. His mannerisms were a bit off, but better than they had been as Robin. He was dark, as if he had seen a lot and suffered even more.

Then they turned a stony brown. They were dark, but didn't have as much pain as the first. It reflected fire, the burning and destruction. His mannerisms were more like Robin's, but a bit more flamboyant.

Then they were an extremely dark green. Bright, as if ignoring the torture they had endured. The mannerisms were loose, less trained, but as if they were used to damage.

Then they were cobalt. It was strained and darker than all but the first. They were the eyes of one who had killed, one who had hurt, one who had lost, but refused to give up. His mannerisms were tight, and would be easily broken by the first personality.

Then they were a bit too excited of a gray. The change was easily identifiable. His face was full of more hope, more . . . trust, but they were weary. His mannerisms were just the opposite. He seemed more relaxed and comfortable. He wasn't as trained in darkness.

None of them compared to the first.

"Interesting." He said to himself. The split personalities could be used to his advantage, but he decided to focus on the first personality. It was the most experienced and he could see the decision to stay was clear in his eyes.

Slade was going to have some issues, though. It would be harder to profile him if he had multiple personalities, especially with five. Then, each was different, yet unyielding. He would have to work harder, as if he had five apprentices instead of one. Breaking him would take longer, but he could do it.

He was the world's greatest and best manipulator.

 

 

 

Bruce stared at the kids in his house, scrutinizing everything about them. He had to be careful. He knew who they were supposed to be, but he had to make sure. Every one of them looked exactly like the newspaper clippings he had. He prayed he was right.

"You are the Teen Titans. You are led by Robin. He hasn't been in any major fights lately. As a matter of fact, neither have you. Why are you here." He kept his knowledge to a small point so that they didn't know about everything that he knew.

Starfire sighed, "We may be in over our heads. We . . . require assistance. The only one we could think of was you. We . . . we need help." Her eyes were pleading. In that instant he found out many things.

She and Robin had a thing. She was willing to take a hit for Robin. She was the girl.

But more importantly, he could see the pain in her eyes. She was afraid, hurt, and even guilty.

After her, he surveyed the rest of the team, doing a swift check on their feelings.

Cyborg, as they had called him in the news, looked afraid. He looked like a younger brother who was being taught how to lead would if his leader, his brother had been taken away. He avoided Bruce's eyes. Guilty.

The girl called Raven looked impassive, but to his trained eye, he could see raw fear. She was afraid of losing Robin, too. And it looked like there was something more. He narrowed his eyes.

She loved him, too.

He moved his speculative gaze over to the last of them. Beast Boy had bright eyes, but behind that he could see the untamed fear eating at him like a wild fire. Robin was his idol. This kid didn't want to loose him.

Batman paused.

He had seen this boy before. When he and Robin had helped the Doom Patrol a few years back. Beast Boy had immediately liked Robin. Beast Boy hadn't been watching close enough when the ape, Monsieur Mallah, had sneaked up up behind him. Robin had pushed him out of the way, getting hurt himself . . . .

His eyes widened, "The pills."

They stared at him.

"Does he use his medication?" He growled in a deadly fashion.

Starfire bravely stepped up, "We were unaware he had any. There are none in his room."

With that, Batman, not Bruce Wane, stood abruptly, turning to stride to the grandfather clock. The team followed him in shock. After it had slid open, he turned toward them.

"You will explain everything." With that, he motioned them in and stepped in himself. There was a lot of explaining to do.

 


	4. Dead, Not Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "H-How bad would the pain be?" Star asked. Batman could sense her unease.
> 
> "Bad enough that he would need them."

"Pills?" Starfire asked the dark knight. She was curious, but so far he hadn't answered one of her questions. The rest of the team stared at her as if she were insane. She didn't care. She would rather be insane than live without Robin.

Finally, after he had done whatever it was that he was doing, he turned toward them. "I will answer questions after I understand the situation. Cyborg, explain now."

Cyborg was shocked to be acknowledged by Batman. It took him a second to find his voice. And that was exactly why he was chosen.

Batman, the greatest detective in the world, looked for one of the most uncomfortable. They all lost a friend, or in Star and Raven's cases, something more, but he was the worst off. Robin had been grooming him for leadership. He must have seen something in him and made it his duty to mold the other teen. Whatever reason Robin had, the detective could see it was a good call.

However, Cyborg wasn't ready yet.

He was just learning the basics when the situation caused him to step up. His training without knowing he was being trained was interrupted and he was stuck in a bad situation. He didn't know how to lead yet.

He was basically left fending for an incomplete team against his unknown teacher while trying to save a loved one. Batman knew that it would hurt him and the rest of the team, but he prayed that little damage was done.

"Ah, yes, sir." He fidgeted. "We had reason to believe that there was a bomb that was going to freeze time around Jump City forever. When we were following that lead, Robin was attacked. He told us to keep going, so we did. We found that the machine was a fake. At that time we were shot. Nanobots were placed in our blood streams. Robin was being forced to be the villain, Slade's apprentice. We had no time to get rid of the nanobots, so we came after him. We failed to save him. Then they relocated. We came here, because we need help."

Batman was at the computer in the blink of an eye. "What do you know about Slade?"

They all looked at each other. Raven sighed, stepping forward. "He is extremely dangerous. He is a technical genius, master manipulator, and he has an obsession with Robin." She sighed before standing up straighter, "If I may, I sort of know more."

He looked at her curiously. That was enough of an answer for him.

"I had a brief brush with his mind. He wants Robin to see him as a sort of father. He thinks of Robin as his," she looked as if some fowl taste were in her mouth, "son. I think he lost a son, one a lot like Robin who willingly worked under him. I also got a glimpse of what might have been his wife about to kill him. I believe she tried to kill him, but failed. I think she scared him though, being why he wears a mask and only shows one eye-"

Batman turned around suddenly, "One eye?"

"Uh, yeah, Mr. Batman, sir." Beast Boy stuttered. Before he even finished Batman was typing, resulting in a profile that he brought before them.

"Deathstroke, also known as Slade Wilson. A mercenary. His hideout is unknown. This is the man that has Dick?"

They all stared at him uncomfortably. "Yes."

Batman stared at them, finally putting the clues together. "Why don't you use Robin's read name?"

Star, seeing everyone shift under his paralyzing eyes, cleared her throat. "He did not take off the mask. We knew him solely as Robin, our leader."

His eyes narrowed. This was bad.

"Why?" Asked Raven, who just got up the nerve to ask.

Batman sighed. He didn't want to tell them. Even if they were Robin's friends, he never wanted to let this secret fly.

"The Robins have all had problems." He began.

"Robins?" Cyborg asked.

"There were five. Your Robin, Dick Grayson was the first. The second was Jason Todd. The third Tim Drake. Fourth Stephanie Brown. Fifth Damian Wane."

"So they are like siblings? Where are these friends?" Star excitedly asked, looking around as if to find them spying on the older ones conversation.

"Dead."

She froze. She wasn't used to death. If only she knew how used to it Robin had been.

He continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "Damian explained it to me once. During the first moments of no longer wearing the mask, you don't know who you are. All their personalities would have been pushed inside one body. He wouldn't know who he was, his thoughts would be clouded and confusing. He wouldn't know who he really was. It could cause nausea, dizziness, and memory problems. He may remember things he never saw or did. The different personalities in his one body would be enough to cause extreme issues. One being that whatever personality is in the process of thought, that personality has the control of the body."

"What about the pills?" Cyborg asked, shrinking when Bruce's gaze fell on him.

Bruce glanced at Beast Boy. "Injury. It's there to help with pain."

"H-How bad would the pain be?" Star asked. Batman could sense her unease.

"Bad enough that he would need them."

That was bad.

Very, very bad.

 


	5. Protect Those Passed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their prayers weren't answered.

Dick sighed. At that moment, he was taking a long shower. He let the water soothe his aching muscles, ignoring the stabbing pain of protest they would give when hot water hit him. Even the scars felt a little better after the liquid flowed over them.

And it felt almost nice to be alone in complete solitude. They all went away during washing times.

He rolled his shoulders, feeling his shoulder blades moving even feeling nicer than usual. Usually he wouldn't take long showers, but since he came into Slade's hands, he took extra time to shower or bathe. Why? Simply because it could annoy Slade. If he couldn't do anything real to Slade, he could at least give him high water bills.

He knew the idea made no sense, but that was to be expected. He had gotten it before he even started the water. Probably Tim's idea. Oh, well. It didn't matter anyways.

Goodness, he doubted that Slade even paid his water bills. He . . . actually, Dick had never thought about this before. Did he pay water bills? If he didn't, wouldn't that mean no water?

He found himself smirking even at thinking about something that mattered so little. All that really mattered was bringing Slade to justice and escaping.

He felt the water begin to cool. Sighing, he turned it off and started drying off. Once he was in comfortable sleepwear, he fell into his mattress. It made his body begin to ache anew. Who cared really though if they slept on something so unusable? He was a hero. He used to sleep on floors and stuff like that. Who said anything had to be nice for him? He was the one who gave things up so others could have those things.

He blinked. He wasn't tired at all for some reason. Right after his brutal beating, he thought that he'd be asleep for a week or more, but he felt, well, energetic.  _Great._

 _Can't sleep?_ A voice asked. Oh, Stephanie. Sometimes, he just wanted to be left alone in his mind. Was it toomuch to ask for? To besane?

 _Yep!_  Replied little Tim happily.

 _Yeah._ Jason added on.  _Batman always said that sleeping is for weenies._

Whoever it was that was in control of the body rolled it's eyes.

A twinge of pain made him blink. He hated to think of Batman and Robin. Why? Because of how many of them he lost. It always hurt to think of the Robins. All of them had been killed in some awful, unspeakable way. Batman . . . Batman let it happen. And he was always just using the Robins. How many times had he replaced Robin? Four. And every one of them died.

He blinked, in a flash he was overwhelmed with flashes of pain, death. A crowbar, laughter, an explosion, Batman, the feeling of not being able to breathe, mobsters, knives, a warm hand, Two-face, helplessness, burning, drugs, Scarecrow-

The body, somehow being controlled by everyone at once, bolted upright in bed, throwing the covers of him. In the dark, he just breathed. Cold sweat covered his body. His hands clenched fist-fulls of black hair.

What was happening to him?

 

 

 

"Wh-What happened to them?" Raven asked quietly. She could feel the pain radiating off of Batman, but she needed to know what it was that Robin was experiencing.

Batman turned away. "Jason was kidnapped by the Joker. After being beaten, he was locked in a warehouse with a bomb. I didn't get to him in time to save him. Dick, I think, blamed himself for not being here to save him. He was out of town. He almost never left after that." Starfire gasped. Batman's fists clenched. "Tim was killed by a psychopath who dressed like me. Strangled." Starfire's lip trembled. Although the rest of them were taking the news in shock, she found it worse and worse. "Stephanie was fired. She tried to prove herself to me, but she ended up causing a gang war. She was beaten badly, almost to the point of death. She was taken to the hospital as Stephanie instead of Robin, but she died. The doctors couldn't do anything." Starfire bit her lip. Batman closed his eyes. He might as well tell the whole story for Damian. "Dick, refusing to lose another Robin, went with Damian on a mission to stop Scarecrow. They were both hit with gas, living through their worst nightmares. When they woke, they were chained in a warehouse, Scarecrow tortured them for days in which Dick supported and protected Damian the best he could. Scarecrow got tired of playing eventually and decided to get rid of them. He injected Damian first and before he could inject Dick, I appeared. Damian was killed by his worst nightmares. Dick couldn't stay here anymore. He told me that he was leaving for anywhere far away from here and that I was never to let another bird take up the mantle or he was coming back to get them. He told me that I could tell people that I fired him from the role. That's when he left for Jump City." They stared at Batman.

They were speechless. They had no idea that Robin had such a dark past.

Silently, they prayed that Slade knew nothing of his past. It sounded so dark . . . . They were afraid that Slade would use it to his advantage.

 

 

 

Their prayers weren't answered.

"Dick, I did a little research on you. Why didn't you tell me about them?" Slade asked with an evil glint in the one eye that Robin could see.

Dick was silent. His dark blue eyes sent a dark glare that would make any other villain flinch, but only made Slade smile. His fists clenched, waiting for the blows to be made.

"Poor little Jason. How helpless do you think he felt when the Joker hit him over and over with that crowbar?" Inside Robin's mind, Dick heard a small whimper. Without even thinking about it, Dick blocked the other personalities from listening. "What about Tim? Watching his mentor suffocate him? How betrayed, hurt do you think he felt? Oh, and poor Stephanie?" He felt his hands begin to shake. His vision was turning red, but he refused to release his mental hold on the others. He wouldn't let them out of his protection. "How much do you think it hurt when she was beaten? All the knives and flying fists? All the cuts and bruises. It must have hurt. You know that. You were with her in the ambulance. You were the one who found her bleeding out in the alley. Oh, and we can't forget little Damian. The youngest of the bunch. How long do you think you spent with your nightmares? And when they-"

"Shut up!" Dick yelled, launching himself at Slade.

As if he predicted it, Slade sidestepped and grabbed his arm. He tried to lock his arm behind his back, but instead Dick flipped, knocking Slade's feet from underneath him. Dick tried to stop on his mask, but Slade rolled out of the way and knocked Dick's feet from underneath him. Eventually, Slade managed to bar Dick's arm, but he smirked.

"Well done, Dick. You are definitely better trained than your counterparts. But you still have a long way to go." His voice was that of one who was gloating.

Dick let out a fierce growl.

Slade released him. "You have to learn to control your temper."

"You should first." Dick growled, thankful that the rest of his personalities couldn't hear, see, or feel anything that was going on.

Slade's eyes narrowed, although Dick could only see one eye. Dick's head snapped to the side as he was back-handed.

"You should also learn to control your tongue." He growled sharply.

Angrily, but a bit stupidly, Dick stuck his tongue out at Slade. "I can control it just fine."

"Then I advise you do it." Slade turned his back on Dick, who immaturely made rude faces at him. Of course, Dick didn't want to be there, but he couldn't really do much. He figured that he might as well enjoy himself by making fun of his captor.

"Go to your room." Slade stated. "I'll send my niece in to clothe your wounds."

"Your niece?" Dick questioned almost immediately. "Where has she been?"

"She was on a mission I sent her on. She is back. Now, go." Slade commanded with a steel edge.

Dick clenched his teeth. He hated taking orders.

But, despite that, he did as he was told. Once he laid in his room, he closed his eyes. He didn't like this at all. He turned on his side, a bad mistake as it immediately brought extreme pain. Agony ripped through his side and his face burned.

He shielded his personalities from the pain, but they started talking immediately about what parts of the conversation that he let them know about.

 _Control yourself? CONTROL YOURSELF!_ Damian was yelling.  _He can go-_

 _Damian!_  Dick interrupted him.

As the other boy quieted down, Stephanie started talking.  _He HIT you? He hit you!_

Dick didn't deny it.

 _Monster._ Jason growled.

 _Evil. He deserves whatever he gets._ Tim agreed.

They all started cursing Slade. Dick just sighed. They all looked up to Dick as their older brother. That didn't stop when they ended up in his head.

He painfully moved onto his back, looking at the door as it creaked open. His eyes widened when he saw her.

"Hi. Can I come in?"

 


	6. Criminal Heroics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scars didn't heal. They only faded, their effects slightly dimmer.

"I can come back if now isn't a good time." She said. She spoke softly and seemed quiet and distanced. She looked about fifteen with long black hair with edges of dark blue. Her eye was violet and her skin was perfect. She wore a sleeveless belly-shirt that was blue with a red X going across it with the same blue color of shorty-shorts. Now, the thing that really shocked him. Half of her face was robotic, with her eye glowing red. Her neck, stomach, and part of her left arm were skin while the rest of her was robotic. Unlike Cyborg, the metal seemed dark. It had mainly grays, and it didn't glow to life in a bright blue.

"No, now's fine." He replied.

 _That's his niece?_ Jason asked incredulously.

She walked forward, a first aid kit in her hand. She opened it, looking at his face unhappily. She pulled out what looked like a disinfectant. After wetting a cloth with it, she began patting his bruised face gently with it. It still hurt.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"I told Slade that I could control my tongue." He replied. "And added a few rude comments."

Stephanie snorted. The girl watched as his eyes shifted to a dark green. "A few rude comments doesn't even begin to describe it."

She smirked. "Yeah, I can tell by the blisters. How hard did he hit you?"

His eyes turned back to the incredible dark blue. "Who knows."

She smiled at him before realizing something. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you my name. You probably know just about nothing other than what Slade told you. My name is Diane. I am his niece, but I'm more of a slave than anything."

He looked at her, his eyes becoming the color of dark chocolate. "He sends you on missions and stuff. Can't you just leave?"

A sad look entered her purple eye. "I can't. See this?" She gestured to her metal parts. "I am a machine. He controls me as one. On my back is my control panel. It is wired in a way that I can't disobey him."

"Well," His eyes turned back to the dark blue of Dick Grayson, "you know I am a hacker. I could-"

"No, if it could have been changed, I would have." She pulled a necklace from her shirt. It had a gold chain and, on the end, was a locket with the emblem of Slade. "It shocks me or any other being that touches the panel. I will forever be in his control."

He sighed, complete understanding in his eyes. It seemed as if they were the same.

 

 

 

Batman frowned, thinking about things. It was late at night, but . . . with the problems going on they needed to be informed. His eyes narrowed as he called the headquarters of the Justice League. This wouldn't be pretty.

Unfortunately, it was Barry who answered. "Yo, Bats!"

"Meeting in fifteen minutes." With that, he shut off the transmission. This wasn't going to be pretty.

 

 

 

When Batman walked in the room, Superman, Martian Man-hunter, the Flash, the hawks, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and Aquaman were waiting for him. After he entered, he heard them gasp at the fact that he had someone with him. They Titans shifted uncomfortably.

"Batman!" Green Arrow complained. "You can't bring others in here without-"

"You need to hear what they have to say." He interrupted. Everyone in the room looked looked at him. They wanted him to explain. And he would.

"Robin has been captured." He stated simply. Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably, realizing that something really bad must have happened for the Titans to go to Batman and Batman come to them. "He is being forced into a apprenticeship for Deathstroke."

"An apprenticeship!" Gasped Wonder Woman. "How dare that-"

"And we haven't been able to rescue him. He appears to be being completely controlled by the man. And what's worse is that this man is someone who has been on the League's list for a long time. We haven't been able to capture this man."

"And he has Robin?" Hawkgirl gasped. "How did he even get Robin?"

After that, the situation was explained by the strange group. The League wasn't happy. They had helped raise him since he was eight. There was no way that they could accept that he had been taken by this villain. It must have been a long time since it had been explained, because Superman's voice seemed quiet when he spoke.

"What can we do?"

"If you ever encounter him, you have to try to contain him. Get him into different clothing as well." Batman's words seemed strange to them all. Briefly, he explained about his last encounter with his only living Robin.

Starfire, even in it's short summary, gasped. The thought of his being in pain whenever he disobeyed seemed like too much. "We have to find him."

The Titans nodded. It was completely true.

 

 

 

Especially right then.

It had been a long training day. Robin partially thought it had been punishment for his recent behavior. He snorted at the thought. Slade had had him blindfolded and basically attacked him at random times. He made him do every technique by feel. He could feel his aching muscles groan in protest for just moving.

 _Does that guy ever give it a rest?_ Tim complained in his mind.

Before he could continue, Dick answered.  _No._

Dick slipped out of the costume for a well deserved shower. At least he had some time for sane ignoring of water bills. He frowned, wondering if his friends were alright. The last he had seen them, they were kneeling in pain. They had been right there, hurting. He hoped they wouldn't be in any more pain. After all, he wasn't going to do anything Jurassic as trying to quit or anything. That would just be stupid.

Too bad he didn't know that the Titans hadn't gotten rid of them after the . . . event.

He spent time just wondering what would be happening right then if he hadn't failed in trying to save his friends. Maybe he would be back in Jump City, eating pizza with Beast Boy and Cyborg. But, even though he wanted it, he sensed he wouldn't be able to go back to the Titans. Not after this, anyways.

He sighed, not wanting to think about this anymore. Instead he fantasized about if he hadn't been taken or if the other Robins had survived. He needed something good to think about. Of course, since none of it would really happen, it was sort of a bad thing to think about.

But it made him feel better.

After he had stepped out of the shower and clothed himself, he found Diane sitting on his bed with a tray of food. Since he had recently found out that she did most of the cooking, he decided to eat it. She herself was nibbling on a piece of toast, obviously hungry but unable to eat.

The two sat and talked for a little while. It was almost nice. If they were normal teens in a normal place with normal security cameras on them, they might have actually been happy. They might have been perfectly content.

They weren't.

 

 

 

After the meeting, Superman found himself speaking with Batman, who he knew had gone against every instinct he had to even have the meeting. It was rare that he admitted he needed help. But, this was Robin, the first and the last Robin. The one that was still alive.

"I will be looking out for him." Superman promised. He would come to Gotham as much as he could to make sure that Robin would be fine. He remembered when Robin was eight, just starting the job. That was the first time that he had seen or met Superman. He smiled sadly, thinking about it.

 

 

 

What was he thinking!  _Superman had ranted to himself._ A kid in Gotham! He'd be dead in no time!  _He had known that Batman had taken a kid in for little over a month and hadn't been able to go over to yell at Batman himself._

_Right then, he found himself flying through Gotham. It wasn't nice to be ranting at Batman, but . . . HE LET AN EIGHT YEAR OLD KID BE HIS PARTNER!_

_"What are you doing?" Came a hard voice. To his surprise, it wasn't Batman. Instead, it was the eight year old kid in green, red, gold, and black. His eye mask was narrowed. He didn't seem to like Superman in his home. "Batman says that no other superhero belongs in Gotham." Then he smirked. "Not that meeting with you isn't amazing, Mr. Superman." It was that that caught him off guard. The kid seemed able to switch between two different emotions in seconds._

_"I'm here to speak with Batman." Superman stated, smiling at the kid._

_"Let me guess. It's about how he's letting an eight year old be his 'sidekick'?" It was then that Superman caught the slight accent. Had he just learned English or something?_

_"I-"_

_"Because if you are, I would advise you leave now. I'm not going to stop, because you told me to, Mr. Superman." Those words had shocked him. No one really said things like that to him. It was a major shocker."_

_Even after he accepted the fact that the kid wasn't going to stop, he watched over him to make sure that nothing would happen to him. Of course, the kid must have noticed, because he would say things out loud once in a while to make sure that he understood something._

_The kid was strong willed and possibly even more stubborn than his mentor._

 

 

 

The kid that survived was paying for it, too. He was living through an apprenticeship that might make him have to kill someone. Robin hated killing. He let Zucco go. He didn't kill the man who took everything from him.

This monster was going to scar Dick. Scars didn't heal. They only faded, their effects slightly dimmer. Dick had enough scars.

Superman was determined to make this scar the least damaging as possible.

He prayed he would succeed.

 

 

 

That night, Robin was jumping roof tops to get to his destination. He was on his way to Wane Labs, where a new weapon was being stored. The weapon, announced to the press just a few days ago, was to help the military. He remembered how dumbfounded and obviously unhappy Wane was with it.

He had no clue it was there.

And now, Robin, no, Dick was being sent to steal it. The half of his face that was hurt and blistered at least made him less recognizable. As he hurried along, he noticed a girl. She was in an alley. His first instinct was to watch her, make sure she was alright.

And his instinct was right. A guy came up behind her, calling her. She yelled back at him. Dick guessed that the guy was her ex. That was bad. The guy grabbed her wrist and swung her to the wall, getting in her face.

 _"Keep going, Richard."_ Slade commanded over his communicator. Knowing there was a bad chance of any vigilante coming to save her, he knew there was only one way to get Slade to let him do this.

"Master, please, let me-"

 _"No."_ Slade answered before he knew what was going on.

"Please, Master. I can't do this knowing that something is going down-"

 _"Do as I have told you, apprentice."_ Slade growled.

"I-" He was cut off by flowing electricity.

 _"I have made myself very clear. Do as you have been told."_ Dick bit his lip, praying that something could be done.

It took him only minutes to get to the desired destination and get what he was after. Once he reached it, he took the weapon and disappeared outside, only thinking of the poor girl. His mind was spinning. He didn't notice her until she stepped right in front of him.

"Stop!" She growled. He froze. He was fearful of seeing Batman again, but Batgirl? Batgirl was too much.

When she saw him, finally connected the dots on who he was, which was probably very hard with his unrecognizable face, she gasped. "Dick?"

She stepped forward, touching the hurt side of his face. "What are you-What happen-Why?"

Her worried voice seemed to hit him, like a slap to the face, even if it wasn't as bad as the slap from Slade. He pushed her hand away. "Don't waste time on me and my mess! There's a woman-"

 _"Dick, get out now!"_ Slade ordered.

Dick didn't even flinch. He had to get her help. "-east of here. She's in an alley, a boy with her. You have to help her."

"But why can't you?"

He disappeared into thin air, without answering. She frowned, not knowing how it was possible that he could disappear like that. Or how-how-

 _How he could be a criminal._ She needed to speak with Batman. NOW!

 


	7. Robin and Timmy-Bird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! Tim exclaimed inside his mind. It really was a stupid idea! I'm sorry!

Dick was sure to make no sound as he dejectedly walked toward one of the many windows in the clock tower. He didn't want to be caught, especially with what he was doing. His eyes scanned the many shadows cautiously.

 _We're finally going to escape!_ Jason's joyous voice rang through his head.  _Get away from this place!_

 _Back to the Titans._ Tim thought happily.

Despite Tim's happiness, they all knew that he couldn't return to the Titans. Even if the plan did work and he managed to escape, it didn't work that way. He would, of course, still visit the Titans and all, but he wouldn't be able to face them every day knowing how he was manipulated into so many things that were, not only against his will, but against his moral code.

He bit his lip, not wanting to think about it anymore. His gloved hands took a grip on the window sill.

Tim was the one who came up with the plan in the first place. The plan was overall simple. It went that he would open the window of the clock tower, and swing over to the building right next to the tower. It's height and convenient location had made it a favorite of all the Robins at one point or another and Barbara could be seen there almost every night a bit after midnight. Once over, they would place a piece of paper with the hideout's location and a message from Dick in the mouth of the gargoyle. Right after that, they would be back in the tower with neither Slade or his niece knowing the difference.

The problem? Dick had found many different problems with this plan. What if no one found the piece of paper in the Gargoyle's mouth? What if they were caught on their way out? What if they were too loud? And what if the wind was too strong? There was no guarantee that the plan would work.

But Dick had agreed anyway. If he didn't do it, then Tim would as soon as he managed to get control of his body, probably while he was asleep. And if Tim were caught then Dick didn't know how quickly he could take over. And he knew very well how violent Slade could get in an instant. His bruised face was enough to point that out to him.

 _Get on with it, Grayson. He'll be back any moment._ Damian's voice rang through his head. Despite the obvious message, there was worry behind the words.

 _Shut up, Damian._ Stephanie complained.  _You're just distracting him._

Dick took a deep breath as he got a good hold. Then, he pulled. The window, barely making it up an inch, let out a loud creaking noise. Dick froze, listening.

Diane was still humming in the kitchen, acting completely normal. And he couldn't hear the metallic clang of Slade's footsteps. He sighed in relief. He had just went back to pushing up the window when-

"Murph!" He exclaimed.

 _Dick!_ Jason exclaimed in shock.

A hand had roughly clamped down on his mouth while the other grasped one of his wrists. The pressure on his wrist forced him to the ground where a boot roughly dug itself into his chest. He felt the gloved hand being removed from his mouth as he looked up at the man that he really didn't want to see.

Slade stared down at him. "Trying to escape, Dick?"

As Dick locked his alternate personalities in his mind, he smiled up at Slade. "What, I can't even open a window? That's sad, Slade."

Slade put more pressure on Dick's stomach, but, despite a small gasp, he didn't correct himself. Slade pursed his lips. "What were you doing?"

 _I'm sorry!_ Tim exclaimed inside his mind.  _It really was a stupid idea! I'm sorry!_

 _Not the time, Timmy._ Dick stated in his mind. He couldn't fully block them for some reason, just remove the painful parts. But he didn't want them to see this. Not any of them.  _Look away, guys._

 _What?_ Damian asked in horror and shock.  _No!_

 _Damian, not the time to argue. Trust me, you don't want to see this._ Despite their only being personalities, ghosts if you will, each of them knew how to back into the darkness. They all knew how to not look at something. But now, none of them would.

 _But Dick!_ Stephanie had just started to argue.

_Steph-_

"Were you listening, Dick?" Slade's honey smooth voice questioned. "Or do I have to repeat?"

"No need to repeat, but I think I already pointed out that I was opening a window-" Dick quit talking when a steel boot-tip smashed into his temple. It hurt, made his vision a little wobbly, but it didn't do any real damage and didn't mess with his concentration on keeping a wall between himself and his other personalities, siblings.

Slade stepped off Dick to pace. Dick propped himself up on his elbows, but didn't rise anymore than that. He knew it was pointless.

"Tell me exactly what you were doing." Slade commanded.

Somewhere in the back of Dick's mind, Tim whimpered.  _It's okay, Timmy-bird._ Dick cooed. "Why? You already know I was opening a window, so there's really no point." He smirked as Slade began circling him like a vulture, actually, exactly like a vulture. "In fact I think you know exactly what I'm doing. Don't you? Like now, I'm-"

From behind him, Slade sent his boot into Dick's elbow. He hissed in pain as he fell back on the ground. He heard both the angry growl of Slade and the horrified whimper of Jason. He, being so young when he was killed, must have only been that age in Dick's mind as well. Not only that, but his death was so brutal that this must have been almost as traumatizing as that experience for him. Dick was slightly thankful that the extreme agony in his elbow was shielded from his alternate personalities. It hurt. A lot.

Slade's voice was right next to Dick's ear when he whispered in a bone-chilling voice, "Tell me, what are you doing now? Anything you still have to say?"

Despite the pain, Dick smiled at the evilly glinting mask and the horrible eye that he could see through it. "Yeah. Only cowards attack a man while he's down."

Dick didn't even try to block the next attack. Four screams echoed through his mind as he worked to not let out screams of agony. If he showed how much it hurt, they would be even more scared. He didn't need or want that.

 

 

 

Bruce just let her rant. She needed to get it off her chest. And, not only that, but he didn't know if he could interrupt her if he wanted. "I just saw him! You obviously know something! You're the freaking Batman! But why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me something was going on with Dick? Why didn't you tell me the TITANS WERE IN TOWN?"

"Barbara-" Well, his ears were staring to hurt.

"NO, BRUCE! Dick is my best friend! You can't believe that I would just NOT WANT TO KNOW! AND YOU!" She spun around to face the Titans and put her finger right in Cyborg's face. "You! I-"

It was never known what she was going to say, because right then the screen flashed on to reveal-

"Slade." Batman growled.

"Hello, Batman, Batgirl." His eye flashed toward the others. "Titans."

"What do you want?" Starfire asked him, her eyes glowing a bright green in anger.

"What do I want? I want to warn you." As Slade began his monologue, the bats seemed to focus in behind him. Although Slade was the only thing in the light, Barbara could swear she could see a dark figure in the background, although it was almost impossible to see. Her ears strained to hear a light slap of some liquid. She glanced at Bruce, his eyes trained on the screen. He heard it, too.

Slade backed into the darkness next to the figure. It was too dark, though-

Then the lights came on.

Gasps of horror could be heard. There Dick hung. His wrists were handcuffed to a pipe above him, and that was the best part. The bruised part of his face along with the fine side were now littered with cuts. From his mouth, blood, dried and fresh, were running down his chin. His hair was knotted with dried blood. The left side of his face had a huge purplish bruise that resembled a boot-tip. On the side of his neck was what looked like-like crowbar marks. Barbara nearly choked, remembering Tim's death. His top, which hadn't been removed but torn to pieces, was there in strips. They could see old scars as well as the small new cuts and purplish, bluish, and yellowing bruises. Bruce's eyes ran up his arms, which were covered in shiny crimson. He could make out that his left elbow was broken and his pinky was bent at an abnormal angle. His right shoulder was dislocated. His pants, which had been torn in various areas, yet were mostly in tact, were soaked through with blood. One of his boots were gone, showing off a bloody foot with the ankle bent wrong. Not only that, but Bruce could see that his ward's wrists were raw with struggling against the cuffs. So the cuffs had been put on around halfway through the beating. With him hanging an inch off the floor by his bloody wrists, it looked that way.

Slade smiled at the looks of horror sent his way. "This is your warning. If you keep searching, it will get worse." He cupped Dick's face with one of his hands and lifted his face. The simple movement sent Dick into a flurry of coughing, a look of extreme agony passing over his face for each cough. It was then that Bruce realized what was going on. His eyes went to Dick's battered chest. He had broken ribs. At least two. Probably four. And definitely had more bruised ones. He most likely had a few cracked ones as well.

Suddenly, his eyes opened. Dark blue skies of agony. They were out of focus, disoriented with pain. But then they snapped into focus. His eyes were determined, ready.

His family, friends, refused to give up on him.

 

 

 

 _Dick? Dick, please! Talk to us!_ Stephanie begged.

 _Grayson! Talk to us!_ Damian's scared voice begged him.

Dick had been hearing their voices for hours, unable to do anything but breathe and block out the pain. In a way, that made it worse. But he didn't care. He couldn't care. He had to keep them from feeling it too. But Damian's voice, admittedly scared, sort of knocked him out of his trance. He blinked.

 _Wha . . . ._ That personality felt foggy, bad. It hurt.

 _Dick?_ Asked Tim. His voice wavered with fear.

 _I'm okay._ He lied.  _It wasn't your fault._

 _Okay? You were tortured for hours! And-And then you quit-you didn't say . . . ._ Stephanie exclaimed, her voice, although loud and clear in his head, sounded as if she were going to cry, despite not having control over the body.

 _I'm a big boy. I can handle it._ He told her softly. He was used to reassuring all of them when they were alive. It was the same, even with them no longer . . . .

_Bu-But-_

_It's okay, Jason. I'm fine._ There was suddenly a brilliant light in front of his closed lids.

 _It's my fault! Di-Di . . . ._ Tim sounded like he couldn't say anything else.

 _No, it's not. You know it's not. Nothing-none of this-is your fault. I can promise you that, Timmy._ Dick reassured him, opening his eyes to the bright, horrid light. It burned his eyes, almost blinding him with pain for a moment, but he kept going.  _No one blames you. It's his fault and his anger was building. He would have done something like this even if we hadn't tried to leave._ He suddenly saw everyone. There was a screen. Barbara, Bruce, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and, in the background seemingly unknown, was Alfred. They all had similar looks of horror on their faces.

Right then, Dick snapped out of whatever daze he had been in and stared at them with all the determination he had.  _Your idea was awesome. Everything that has happened since our capture has been Slade's fault. Don't blame yourself._ Despite it all, Dick could feel waves of pain and guilt from his other personality.

 _Look at them._  Dick commanded.  _They may be scared. They may be ready to break, but they aren't giving up. So lets not give them reason to give up. We won't bow._

He let them stare out at Bruce and Barbara, and even his team.

He let every good memory fill his mind, let it overcome them. Swinging on a trapeze. The first time that he met the bat. The rush from the first time using a grappling hook. How he felt when he first met Barbara. All the times he put a bad guy in jail or saved an innocent. The first time he met Jason. The first time they put someone in jail together. The feeling of his fingers through Barbara's-Batgirl's hair. When Tim practiced his rope tying on him. Tim becoming Robin. Taking pictures when Tim first beat Batman at chess (the first and last time). Picking Stephanie up after a bad fall. Singing an old Romani lullaby when she had boy trouble and then hanging the boy from a tree in the morning. Teaching her a few tricks. Helping her with her Spanish class. Meeting Damian. Holding Damian when he knew that Batman-Bruce-his dad couldn't do it. Teaming up with Damian to take down some of the worst villains. The feeling of Barbara's soft hands in his and the taste of her lips. The feeling of power as he stared down the Batman and told him no more Robins. The first time that Starfire kissed him. The laughter of Cyborg and Beast Boy through the Tower. Raven and his laughter as they secretly made fun of them.

Suddenly more memories seemed to join his. The hold of his mother's hand. The rush as he ran from the cops, laughing. The sudden daring as he saw the Batmobile. The joy at the thought of even being able to be Robin, the boy wonder. Meeting Dick Grayson, the original Robin. Flying through Gotham. Standing beside Batman and Dick proudly. Stopping his first criminal alone. Teaming up with Dick. Blushing furiously as Supergirl kissed his forehead on Valentines Day after giving her a card. Listening to Dick laughing at him afterwards. Spying on Dick and Barbara. His first visit to Star City. Meeting the League. Joy at the possibility of getting his mother back.

Then there were more. Running through the fields, feeling totally free. Figuring out who the Batman was. Her disappointment as he refused to train her, but her joy at Dick telling her to come back the next day. Dick training her and Batman angrily taking over. The joy of being able to actually do a backflip. Batman's first smile at her. The rush of flying through Gotham and the feel of rain on her costume. The feeling of success as she got her first baddie. Dick's hand on her shoulder as Batman walked away. A distant lullaby and strong arms as she cried. Laughing herself to death when she came to school to find her cheating x-boyfriend tied up, crying, and hanging upside-down from a tree with makeup on his face with a note beside him saying "Curtesy of the Older Brothers Committee." Facing down so many bad guys, knowing she could take them. Waking up in the hospital for Batman-Bruce Wane holding her hand and Dick sitting on her other side.

To add to that, more happy memories flooded through their minds. The comfort of being there for his mother. The amazing stories of Batman, and knowing that that was his dad, his father. Getting out of the League of Shadows. Batman smiling at him. Dick picking on him and him dubbing him "Grayson" before being laughed at even more. Dick helping him put away a bad guy. Dick holding him as he cried. Knowing someone cared for him. Refusing to go back to the League of Shadows and feeling greatness and power flood through him. Taking down the Joker and Ra's in the same night with Dick and Batman. Dick protecting him, even when he knew he couldn't-wouldn't make it.

Then, warm memories came flooding in. Enjoying life with his parents. Being at the circus. Holding his mom's hand in comfort. Meeting Batman-THE Batman-and demanding that he take him on as Robin, the boy wonder. The hard work and sweat he put into it. Meeting the first Robin, Dick Grayson. Dick agreeing to let him practice his rope tying on him and ending up having to cut them off Dick when he couldn't untie them. Dick helping him with clasping the cape on the Robin suit and saying he deserved it. When he beat Bruce at chess, and had jumped up from the table, doing a victory dance. His embarrassment when Dick sent him the video of it and claimed he still had the pictures. Beating his first villain. His dad commenting on a picture of him, Dick, and Batman in the news. Batman complementing him on a job well done.

Then, one memory seemed to take them all in.

_A little, black-haired boy was pulling his dad through the crowds. "We have to get a picture!" The kid exclaimed. He could only have been six at the most, but his grip was tough. "Come on!"_

_"Slow down, kiddo!" An older, kind-faced man laughed as he was being pulled. "I'm sure he'll be there by time we get there."_

_"Dad! Come on!" The smaller boy continued to complain, a pout on his face._

_In just a few moments, they were at the front of the crowd, right in front of a group of people. There were two women, two men, and two boys, one around fourteen and the other about eight. The youngest and one of the women, presumably his mother, smiled at them. The mother and the older man started talking, but the two boys were uninterested._

_"Hi!" Squeaked the younger._

_"Hi." Smiled the older one. "I'm-"_

_"Dick Grayson, youngest of the Amazing Flying Graysons." The younger one said, seeming almost as if he were about to explode._

_Dick blinked and smiled. "Yeah, something like that. What's yours?"_

_"I-I'm Tim." Tim smiled brightly._

_"Nice to meet you, Tim." Dick smiled. "Did you like the show?" Just then, his slight accent could be heard, but Tim didn't seem to notice._

_"Like? I loved it!" The young boy exclaimed before talking so quickly about how amazing it was that Dick couldn't understand him. He blinked._

_"Oh, so you have a fan, Dickie-bird?" Said a deep voice as one of the men appeared behind Dick. Both Dick and Tim went beet red. He chuckled before putting a hand on his wife's shoulder and looking at Tim's father._

_"Well, I don't want to waste too much of your time." Tim's dad said._

_Dick's mom smiled warmly at him. "Oh, not at all."_

_Tim's dad blinked. "Well, alright." A thought flashed across his face and he pulled out a camera. "Do you mind?"_

_Dick's dad blinked. "Oh, of course not. Come here, boys."_

_Dick grabbed Tim's hand and, to his surprise, hoisted the smaller boy on his shoulders. Tim let a look of shock pass over his face before complete joy crossed it. With the white flash of the camera, the smells of cotton candy and the bright circus disappeared,_ replaced with the reality of Slade turning off the screen, removing the presence of their family, their friends, where Dick hung beaten and bloody, and where they four brave souls were all dead.

They would not give up. He would not give up.


	8. You Are My Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And because of that, the entire Batfamily had fallen apart.

It was dark. The real kind of dark that was created by more than just an absence of light, but a feeling of dread. A feeling of fear. She knew she felt it. The darkness, however, in the real world was interrupted by a video that just kept repeating. Over and over and over again.

Fear. Dread. Pain.

Memories.

That was what she feared most. That those few happy memories with Dick were the last ones she would have. Ever. Dick had always made sure she knew how appreciated she was. If they had a romantic night, he might send flowers. If she had a bad night, he'd send over some gauze or some type of medication to block out pain. Even before he left for Jump, he had left a card. At the time, he couldn't tell her in person.

What really scared her was that she might not ever be there for him. That she would fail him. Again. She hadn't been there for him when he and Bruce got into that last fight over Damian. And because of that, the entire Batfamily had fallen apart. The dynamic duo separated and she was left with a sad, broken, empty heart, wishing she would've been there to pick up the pieces like she always had been before.

As well as that, Bruce was hurt. It wasn't just his pride, but the fact that he had lost another kid, another irreplaceable child to death, to the death- _suicide_ -of the dynamic duo. Dick had left just like that. And all that Bruce was left with was a girl he knew was broken and ready to take a final blow, his father figure whom he had failed in the inability to keep one of the Robins alive and with them, and himself, an ominous figure that he would never, ever forgive.

So, fearfully and hurt, she watched the video again and again. She tried to look for something that would give her a clue to where he was being kept, but she couldn't see anything. All she could do was stare tearfully at Robin.

It had been an entire two weeks since then. After Bruce had passed out from watching the video so long even after getting busted up in Gotham, she had taken over the job. But it seemed impossible. Even Bruce-THE FREAKING BATMAN-couldn't find anything!

But there had to be something.

If there was, it wasn't going to be on Robin where her eyes kept going.

She yawned, letting a hand go through her explosive red hair as her eyes searched the screen or, in real life, stared at Robin painfully. He was hurt badly. Extremely badly.

"You really should be getting some sleep, Mistress Barbara." A wise voice said from right behind her.

"I'm fine, Alfie." She murmured, trying not to let her big, brown eyes slip closed like she knew they wanted to. "Besides, I can sleep when I'm dead."

Alfred sighed. "That is what I fear. Go get some shut eye, young mistress. I'm sure you will figure out what it is that you are looking for once turn the lights back on."

Yeah, that sounded nice. Besides, the Titans were asleep. So was Batman. If he was asleep, surely he wouldn't mind that she went to bed, too. When she turned the lights back on, she could be . . . .

Barbara's exhausted eyes widened. "That's it!" As tired as she was, she could only speed up when her hands moved across the keys, typing in her commands. Soon, the tape had been reset to a certain point.

"What do I want?" Slade asked maliciously. "I want to warn you."

It was then the light flashed on. Barbara blinked, setting in the command to do it frame by frame. The light dimly appeared. Nothing. It brightened. Not quite. It was enough to show the outline of Robin easily. THERE!

Right in the background next to Robin's head there was a slight flash, a reflection. It was right there.

There was a window!

She zoomed in on the window, feeling Alfred's presence over her shoulder. Slowly, she brightened the fame until it was almost white, but she could see outside. She never blinked, even if her vision became blurry or dark spots clouded her sight, letting her fingers type faster and faster as it was shaded and slightly adjusted to see what looked like another building and half of a gargoyle.

Familiarity swelled in Barbara until it exploded, giving her the one thing in the entire world that she had wanted right then: An answer.

Her lips stretched into a smile. "I got it!"

"Mistress Barbara!" Alfred exclaimed in shock, just catching her slumped form before she hit the floor. It wouldn't have mattered if she did. She was asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

 

 

 

Dick opened his eyes tentatively and slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the dim room. He let out a low groan. He was so tired . . . .

 _What's going on?_ Tim asked, confused.

_Just woke up, dumb-_

_Damian._ Interrupted Dick in a very straight forward, brotherly voice. The other personality quieted down immediately.

"I see you've woken up." A voice claimed.

Dick's eyes darted to the man standing next to his bed. How he hadn't noticed him before that, Dick didn't know. Whatever happened, though, he just had to keep his cool. He couldn't let the older man get to him. If he did . . . .

 _Slade._ Stephanie growled in his mind.

Slade sat at a chair next to his bed. "Not very talkative I see."

In a moment of less control and tiredness, Dick couldn't stop Jason from taking over him. Slade only smiled when he noticed the brilliant blue change to a furious brown. "Who says I'm not talkative? Maybe I just don't want to talk to you."

Slade smiled. "Will you disobey me again?"

Before Tim could take control or whimper out a "no," Dick let his personality, although tired and ready to collapse at any moment, take control. "At every opportunity I get."

Slade's eye darkened angrily. He took a hold on the muscle shirt Dick was wearing and pulled him up. Dick hissed in pain as his skin and his healing broken, cracked, and bruised ribs burst into fireworks in protest. "Are you sure?"

Damian's voice suddenly seemed to explode.  _Screw this, you fu-_

"Absolutely." Dick stated, silently chiding Damian for his language.

Slade stared at him for a moment, studying him, then threw down the boy, who once again let out small protests of the pain, somehow keeping all the pain for himself rather than his younger siblings, those that he missed, those that he wasn't there to protect, those that he swore to protect now more than ever.

"We will continue this conversation another time. Tomorrow, you will report to training at two p.m. Don't be late."

Just like that, Robin's captor had disappeared.

 _Don't be late._ Stephanie mocked himbefore letting her anger overpower her.  _Don't be late! How are you supposed to train like that? How does he expect you_   _fight so injured?_

 _I don't know._ Dick replied carefully.  _But I'll get through it._

 _I'm sorry!_ Cried Tim, who had been awfully quiet throughout the conversation.  _This is all my fault! I'm sorry!_

Dick sighed.  _It's okay, Timmy. Come on, it was an awesome idea. We just had some timing issues. That's all._

_But-_

_That guy is evil!_ Exclaimed Jason angrily. His mortified voice was completely consumed by rage that went long past the skin.  _He can't do this! He-he . ._  . .

Dick sighed, making the best he could of the impossible situation.  _We'll get through it. After all, we're Robin._

Just like that, it was as if a light had been turned on. Light and comfort filled their minds, slipping past them softly like silk. Perfection filled them to the brink, helping them. They knew that it was going to be okay. .

They had hope anew.


	9. The First and the Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Then let's save him."

When Dick opened his eyes, he knew something bad was coming. Of course, he had mostly healed, but hurt, and knew that the training was in what? Four hours? But still, he just had a bad feeling. Premonition. It was never a good feeling for Dick. His bad feeling was usually right, meaning that something horrible was going to, or already happening.

He slowly sat up, flinching as his ribs became inflamed.

 _What are you doing!_ Shouted Stephanie, successfully alerting his other personalities.  _You should be laying down, not getting up!_

 _Grayson, lay back down!_ Damian spoke up. Despite his usual persona, this time Dick was sure he could hear the fear and raw worry behind the words.

_Trainings only in a few hours. I've got to-_

At that moment, he stood and everything went wrong. A sudden burning seemed to fill his side, causing him to double over and collapse on the ground, despite his injured ribs and the many cuts and bruises that burned and protested his sudden movement. Despite all he had gone through, he let out a single yell at that moment, unable to hold it in.

 _Dick!_ He heard Jason yell far away in his mind. However, Dick couldn't focus on the worried voices of his siblings, but on the overwhelming desire to just die. He forced himself to take shallow breaths and block out his other personalities, not letting them feel the pain he felt.

"What is going on in there!" Dick heard a familiar voice yell as none other than Slade rammed the door open, to see Dick biting his lip, collapsed on his side in a protective ball.

 _Please! Dick!_ Another voice, Tim as Dick had recognized halfheartedly, yelled for it's older brother in fear. But Dick couldn't focus at all. Not even a little.

Oh, it  _burned_! Dick could only feel the rough, immense pain in his stomach that seemed to only give him extreme agony and reason to die. But it also gave him reason to keep going. He had to get through it. But it hurt so much! Even more than anything he had ever felt before. More than those lovely torture devices he had been hurt with, the bat that Two-Face had beat him with, the purplish bruises he got from the Joker's favorite crowbar, and even more than every beating that Slade gave him.

It BURNED!

Slade picked up the boy gingerly and sat him back in the bed. Said boy didn't blink, probably not even realizing how he had been picked up. Of course, his eyes were squeezed tight in such extreme pain. Not even pain at the point that it was.  _Agony._

"Diane!" Slade called, turning away from the boy in his weak moment as he let out a small, barely noticeable whimper. "Get a cloth, water, and blankets! Bring them to Dick's room!"

"Yes, uncle!" She shouted back, voice echoing dramatically as the sound of her metal feet could be heard as she retrieved the needed items.

Slade turned back to look at the boy before he sighed and pushed his hair back from his sweaty forehead. There should have been no reason for such extreme pain from the beating that Slade had given him. None. And he learned torture from the military base, meaning that after it was done, it was  _done._

A frown made it's way to his face as he sighed. This was going to be a long day.

 

 

 

Slowly, Barbara's eyes opened. Her eyes darted around the room for a moment, taking in the light coloring of the fancy room and the many people in the room before her memory returned and she bolted upright.

"Barbara!" Exclaimed a familiar voice. Bruce stood to her left, eyes betraying a bit of worry, but almost nothing more. His arms were tense as he leaned on the side of the bed, eyes trained on her.

Her eyes were wide, though, as if mad thoughts had overcome her and controlled her. She ignored the other concerned people at the other side of her bed and grasped Bruce's arms. "I know where he is!"

After many shocked and startled replies that were cut off by the widely known batglare, Bruce stared at the girl in front of him who seemed to be almost ready to hyperventilate. "Bruce, I know where he is!"

"Barbara, are you sure?" He asked. His worry seemed to hit him hard. After all, she had fainted at the batcomputer. And she was like a daughter. Just like Dick was like a son.

"Yes." She breathed, and she knew she probably didn't look all that sane. Her hair messy and slightly falling in her eyes, big, brown orbs fixed on Bruce with just enough insanity, pale as death, and breathing as if she had just been hit by a car. She was crazed with the possibility of saving her brother in war and life.

"Then let's save him."

Her eyes lit up with the sentence.

After all, she may have been his daughter in mind, but Dick was his first and last son.

 

 

 

As the zetabeam lit up, the many heroes in the room looked up, their minds momentarily leaving their young family member, the boy that they all knew was completely amazing. Out of the bright light walked out two smiling green lanterns.

"We did it!" Said one, Hal Jordan, as he walked forward toward the group. "We saved the universe again!" His arrogance and happiness left the room quiet with sadness and realization that they hadn't heard what had happened to Robin.

John looked around, catching the fact that something was desperately wrong. But he knew that Hal didn't. Hal wasn't one who liked to think about the possibility of something going so wrong right after a great victory for all life forms everywhere.

"Everything is alright now!" He repeated, a little strain to his voice, as if he could suddenly make it true just by saying it.

"Hal-" John tried to interrupt, but Hal tried again.

"We won." His bright smile was beginning to corrode away, leaving behind a slight panic to his dark brown eyes. "We-"

"Hal." Interrupted Wonder Woman. This time, Hal shut up, eyes snapping to her. His mask wasn't on, showing off the slight worry and panic that his moment of happiness and just the plain ability to gloat and describe the great, spectacular battle where not even one intergalactic officer died slowly began to fade away.

"What's happened?" Asked John Stewart, eyes moving around the room to only find one of the important heroes missing.

_Batman._

The heroes looked at one another as Diana felt a lump form in her throat. Her nephew was missing. Her nephew was missing.  _Her nephew was missing!_

"John, Hal," Spoke Shayera spoke softly, removing her mask so that it was easier for them to take it in. "Something happened while you were gone."

"What?" Hal's mind was too caught up in the lack of celebration to really realize that it was he who spoke.

"Robin was kidnapped." Shayera stated simply, but softly. Before they could sigh in relief of no one being dead, she continued. "By Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator. He wants Robin to be his apprentice. He's had him for nearly-"

"No." Hal spoke, realization finally setting in and hitting him hard. He had heard that name before. He had heard it-His eyes widened in horror. "No way! Dick did not get kidnapped by that psycho!"

"Yes, he did." Finally spoke Superman, voice unnaturally grave.

"We have to-to get him!" Hal wouldn't deny that he felt a protective panic come over him. With Dick, no matter what the age, one would get extremely worried and overprotective. It was the cost of knowing him. And Hal knew exactly how that felt. Not even Stewart had the lack of protectiveness when it came to the kid.

 

 

 

 _Hal had shook his head in disbelief. He had heard from the majority of the superhero populace that Batman-the_ Batman _-had taken a sidekick. A kid. A nine year old kid! He knew the bat had problems, but really? A kid?_

_So, that's why Hal had begun the long journey to Gotham city. He wanted to see this extraordinary boy in tights that apparently had the whole of the Justice League tied around his pinky. He didn't miss the overprotective stance that Diana took when describing the kid. He didn't miss the clenching of Clark's fists when talked about the irresponsibility of Bats for bringing in the kid to the superhero world._

_But things had turned out, well, not nice._

_For one, when he opened his eyes he flinched. The back of his head hurt as if some clown had knocked him over the head with a ginormous mallet!_

_Oh, wait._

_He hung upside-down with his hands bound behind him and Batman tied right against his back. Both vigilantes hung above a pit of steaming pink acid. Hal could hardly imagine what it must have felt like and done to the bat's sanity dealing with this freaky clown on a regular basis._

_"So," Began Jordan in an inconspicuous voice. "I don't suppose that you have a plan or an awesome toy to get us out of this mess."_

_Batman growled. That was answer enough._

_A deep, yet lighthearted laugh followed. "Batman without a plan? HA! I never thought I'd see the day!"_

_Batman growled again, his growl deeper this time. He sounded more scary. Hal could respect that. Dealing with mister-I-like-makeup over there must have been something. Too demanding for Hal's taste._

_"You know," The Joker began after he whipped away tears of laughter from his eyes, "I was kinda hoping you would bring along the kid. I love him. You know, I've_ always  _been a kid person!" The Joker started laughing again, clutching his sides._

 _Once again, Batman growled. But this growl was different. This was different than the I-really-hate-you-Jordan-leave-now growl or the I'm-about-to-stuff-kryptonite-down-your-throat growl reserved for Clark. No, this wasn't even the I'm-so-tempted-to-kill-you-right-here-and-now-you-dirty-rotten-scum. No, this was different. This was a protective growl that he had only seen once before in his entire_ life _!_

_This was the growl of a father. And instantly, Hal knew that the kid had Batman under his spell, too. He was starting to get scared to meet the kid._

_The Joker picked up Batman's belt. Although not being able to see the other vigilante's face, Hal had a suspicious feeling that he had a look of pure murder etched on his face._

_"You know, Batsie, you think he would come here if you called him on your communicator? Because I think he would!" The Joker exclaimed. "And he might have some fun with us!"_

_"I won't call him." Stated Batman very simply._

_The Joker pouted, red lips looking completely horrifying. "Party pooper. No cake for you." Hal would deny it later, but he was partially sure that he had shivered from that look of malice in the Joker's dark eyes. "I was hoping that you would help me out getting my favorite nephew here, bats, but," The Joker sighed dramatically, "I suppose I'll have to do it myself."_

_The Joker picked up a device and wrapped it around his throat. When he spoke, it was eerily in Batman's voice. "Well, this certainly is interesting." He laughed and Bruce's voice echoed off the walls. "Hm. So that's what your laugh sounds like." Noted the Joker. "No wonder you don't smile much!" He laughed again._

_"Do not do this." Commanded Batman sternly._

_"What?" The Joker asked innocently. He picked up the communicator. "This? Batman to Robin. Come in."_

_They waited for a moment in absolute silence and horror. "Hey, Bats. What's up?"_

_"Green Lantern showed up at a warehouse on Central Road. He wants to meet you." Stated the Joker, smirking at Hal who was horrified. Oh, man, he prayed that the kid got through this. Wait, the communicator. It was on . . . ._

_"Oh, okay! I'll be there in just a minute." The kid chirped over the communicator. Before the Joker could turn off the communicator, Hal crazily started yelling._

_"HEY! THAT'S NOT BATMAN! IT'S THE JOKER! HE JUST SOUNDS LIKE BATMAN!" Hal shouted, gaining an annoyed look from the Joker._

_"Wait, who was that?" Asked the kid again._

_"Oh, uh, just the Green Lantern. He's excited to meet you." The Joker replied, stumbling in the stolen voice._

_"I got it! I'll come as fast as I can, Batman! Oh, and make sure that the Green Lantern doesn't die of excitement by time I get there!" The nine year old chirped before the communicator was shut off._

_While the Joker was sighing in relief, Jordan just heard the whisper of Batman. "We'll be out in about two minutes."_

_"You have a plan?" Hal asked hopefully._

_"No." Replied the amazing Batman who was prepared for EVERYTHING!_

_"How do you know?" The Green Lantern asked, his hope slowly fading._

_"I know Robin." Batman replied. It took the Green Lantern a moment (as he had just been calling Robin "the kid" in his mind) to reply and, before he could even respond, the Joker interrupted._

_"What is wrong with you?" He exclaimed. "I barely ever get to see my beloved nephew and you try to ruin it for me? Why would you do that?" The Joker glared at him, completely serious._

_"Uh . . . ." Hal honestly had no reply. How could he respond to a murderous clown who was the reason that he was hanging over a vat of acid with an earsplitting headache who was glaring at him for yelling to warn a nine year old of what was coming? Nope. There was absolutely no answer to that._

_Thankfully, the Joker decided to rant to himself instead of receiving the answer, pacing back and forth as he yelled to himself about Hal. It must have been halfway through that torture that he felt something tighten with the rope. He looked up, even though his pounding head so was not happy about being upside-down, only to see the nine year old._

_Man, the kid looked more like he was seven! His costume was bright, too, making it hard for Hal to wonder how he could have not seen or heard the kid get over to their rope to-_

_Oh, crap._

_The nine year old was cutting the rope. He could feel the tension in Batman's back. He had seen the brightly colored kid as well. Why didn't he use the batlanguage to tell him to stop? Batman could have been doing it._

_Jordan took a hard look for a moment. Nope. The kid was entirely focused on cutting the rope. Which meant that he and Batman were about to fall to their deaths!_

_He must have somehow tensed or something that made Batman realize what he was about to do. "Don't speak. Robin has a plan." Batman whispered._

_"That includes us falling to our deaths?" He hissed angrily back._

_The cutting froze for a moment before it began again. He glanced up to see Robin working even harder, tears almost springing to his eyes. Batman tensed against him as he whispered too low for even Robin to hear them. "Never say anything like that again."_

_With that sentence, Hal knew that Batman was glaring that glare again. He was not going to stand by while his kid was-_

No.  _Hal interrupted himself._ His son. Not his kid, his son.

_It was then that they fell right into the pit of acid. It was then that Hal realized that it wasn't acid. He looked at it on his costume for a moment. "Paint?"_

_As if on cue, Robin flew at the Joker from his point on the ropes and Batman quickly joined him. Joker was too busy laughing and not defending that when Hal went to join them, the Joker was already on the ground with a pair of handcuffs around his wrists._

_Looking at Batman, Hal could understand why the mad man was laughing. The pink man glared at him, daring Hal to laugh._

_Hal decided that, for the greater good of not getting beat up by Batman, to look at the kid. "Hey, sport." He greeted. "Nice to meet you. Robin, right?"_

_"Yep! And you're Green Lantern-" He cut himself off, looking at the Joker. "So, you're, like, a space cop?"_

_The way that the kid's eyes lit up at the possibility made Hal get a feeling that he was going to like the kid. And he found that statement to be very true._

 

 

 

Very true.

"We have to get him back!" Exclaimed John from beside him, bringing Hal back to the land of the living. "Now! Who knows what kind of torture that he's going through! He-"

"We have tried." Interrupted the Martian. "I have not been able to track his mind and at the same time, Batman himself has found-"

He was suddenly cut off when the monitor flashed on with a very . . . grim looking Batman. However, Batman had this different look to his sternness. A very different look. "Zeta to Gotham. Now."

The Flash, ever so curious, looked at Batman cautiously. "Why?"

"We've found Robin. And it's time to bring him home."

And so it began.

 


	10. Break These Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You lost, Slade." He whispered dramatically. "I'm not the apprentice you want me to be."
> 
> Slade's eye showed with anger. It was then that Dick realized that he just brought on a world of pain. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
> 
> Good.

When Dick finally felt a blurry sense of alertness, four voices all started speaking at the same time. He couldn't understand them nor could he remember whose voices they were. All he could feel was the dizzying sense of his own pain that he was still subconsciously keeping from his siblings and the odd numbness in his limbs. Faintly, he let it all come back to him. All of it.

 _Dick!_ Exclaimed the now recognizable voice of Stephanie, his little sister.  _Are you okay?_

 _What happened?_ Demanded the youngest, Damian, whose voice had a small, almost unnoticeable feeling of worry and fear.

 _Nothing._ Dick stated easily, taking a shallow breath as he felt his ribs ache from the small motion.

 _It didn't look like nothing._ Stated Jason's voice, obviously very unhappy with the situation.

 _Really, it was just an old injury that bothers me from time to time._ He stated, trying to play it off easily to his sibling's horror. He didn't want them worrying, even if they were creations of his own mind as it tried desperately to remember them for who they were.

 _How often?_ Questioned Tim quietly, his voice soft with the known, yet unspoken truth.

Dick didn't reply. There was no satisfactory answer that would calm them. Honestly, the truth might even scare them as it did him. It wasn't pleasant, the pain. But he didn't want to use the pills, not if they would disorient him or blur his senses when it happened.

 _Dick, don't you trust us? We've seen it before in your mind and memory, but do you not trust us with the times that we don't know about?_ Stephanie asked, voice broken from the pain that made her big brother cry out.

He still didn't reply. He didn't want to.

 _Dick-_ Jason began, but was interrupted by a voice that wasn't in the boy's head.

"Dick, I know you are awake." The oily voice spoke. A frown etched into Dick's face as he realized that Slade was near him, watching him. He sighed and pried open his eyes to the familiar sight of Slade sitting next to his bed, hands sitting peacefully in his lap.

Dick was careful not to speak, simply listen to the manipulative monster in front of him. As well as that, he took a hold of his own mind, creating a solid wall between himself and the other Robins so they couldn't interrupt or change the subject or even reveal something simple about his or their feelings. Robin had already recognized that the elder man had been trying to figure them out. What made them tick? What made who angry? What made who afraid?

Well, Dick would  _not_ let this tactician mess with his mind.

"I see you don't want to talk." Slade spoke. His tone was neutral. It neither tried for anger or sadness. All it was was a conversation starter.

But Dick knew that if he let the conversation continue, someone in his mind was bound to get angry or upset, and he wasn't willing to get to that point. Therefore he would let Slade do all the talking. There was no need for him to do any of it.

"Well, then, I will cut to the chase." Slade stated, and Dick's cobalt eyes narrowed dangerously. "I know that your punishment did not cause that extreme attack of pain you felt earlier. I want answers. What happened and why?"

Dick rose an eyebrow tauntingly.

 _Don't play around with him, idiot!_ Damian exclaimed.  _He'll hurt you worse!_ Despite the boy's angry words toward the monster, he wouldn't say them to Slade's face. Not if Dick were hurt because of it.

 _It's okay._ Dick stated.  _Just don't watch. It'll be better._

 _No!_ Jason disagreed.  _We won't leave you alone with this guy!_

 _I am alone with this guy._ Dick stated. He knew it was a bit harsh to say to Jason, but he didn't want any of them there to watch his pain or be manipulated by this madman. The more time spent with him, the more time that they were winded up and had their emotions tossed around.

A pang of guilt hit Dick as a small, betrayed and sad feeling slapped him. Though he had no chance to dwell on it as Slade stood, anger rising to his one eye.

"Explain now. Or is more pain necessary?" The sharp glint to his eye made Dick sure that the threat was entirely serious.

_Dick . . . ._

He ignored the worried tone in Stephanie's voice as Slade stood, obviously trying to make Dick feel small and as if he should tell the man why he had been in such pain. But Dick just snorted. "I don't have to explain anything to you."

 _Grayson! Stop!_ Yelled Damian, fear in his voice.

But Dick didn't stop. He had already gone much too far. Far enough to make Slade put an obvious warning into his voice. "Yes, you do. And do it now."

"No-"

Too far.

With one of his gloved hands, Slade reached down and pressed his hand against one of Dick's unbroken ribs. But with a little pressure, it was no longer unbroken. Dick bit his lip, closing his eyes and letting his eyes as to accept the pain. He wouldn't cry out.

But they did.

 _Dick!_ Tim cried in horror.

 _It's okay._ His voice, strained in even his mind, tried to reassure them.  _I'm-_

 _Not okay!_ Yelled Stephanie.  _Stop it! Stop messing with him! He'll only hurt you worse!_

 _Stephanie._ Dick began, but found he couldn't continue.

_You freaking-_

Dick opened his eyes, working to tune out the voices in his head. He glared at Slade, breathing even more shallowly as his ribs added new fire. "You think one more bad rib is going to-to get me to talk?"

"No." Stated Slade as his eye narrowed cunningly at his forced pupil. "I expect you to sing like a bird."

Dick smirked. "I don't sing. Not for you, anyways."

 _This is dangerous, Dick!_ Stephanie warned. If she had a body, she would be shaking. Or maybe she would have intervened by then so that this situation wouldn't exist. Either way, it didn't make a difference.

His hand moved down. Another rib. Dick grunted as the fire in his chest began to spread.

 _Grayson!_ Damian's voice yelled and Dick had to remind himself that of everyone in his mind, Damian was the youngest, whether or not he seemed it. Watching Dick get tortured . . . .

Did it remind him of when Dick and he were tortured when in Scarecrow's grasp? Locking away the thought so no one could realize it crossed his mind, Dick's frown secured it's place. This couldn't go on much longer. He had to find an aggravating way to stop Slade without making it seem as if it were him stopping Slade. Of course, he also had to hide it from his alternate personalities . . . .

"Explain."

And here was his chance.

"You really want to know that badly, Slade?" His eyes darkened at the anger in his  _master's_ eyes. He was through playing by the manipulator's rules. "I'll tell you then. You stole damaged goods. I come with infrequent spells of pain. I could collapse any moment just because my body isn't perfect." The look in Slade's eye showed shock. It must have been the first time that the man had shown that emotion to Dick ever. "You lost, Slade." He whispered dramatically. "I'm not the apprentice you want me to be."

Slade's eye showed with anger. It was then that Dick realized that he just brought on a world of pain. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

_Good._

The anger in Slade's eye was enough to cause Tim to go silent in Dick's mind before he could even think something in horror. Dick took a shallow breath.  _Look away._

Even at the authoritative tone in his voice, none of them turned away or left him alone when Slade's full anger unleashed itself upon their older brother.

 

 

 

Diane kept herself busy in the kitchen, humming. Her robotic hands were sturdy as she cleaned dishes, but if they had been human, they would be shaking. She knew what was going down in the bedroom.

She always knew.

And she also knew that someone had entered the tower some time ago and was just now watching her. They were waiting to knock her out so she couldn't warn Slade. Of course, she had an obligation to inform Slade, but her programing had a key loophole that she knew very well.

It never said when she had to warn her uncle.

Therefore she waited. Of course, she prayed that they really were going to knock her out, because if Slade were in a fight, she had no choice but to fight.

And fight on his side she would. So long as she was awake.

Why wouldn't they knock her out already? She was getting desperate. She could hear the grunts of the boy down the hall. No. He wasn't  _the boy_. He was Dick Grayson. Robin. Her friend. Diane took a steadying breath and dropped the now clean knife in her hand back into the sink where she would just have to wash it again later.

Slowly, Diane turned to come face to face with a majority of the Justice League. Superman. Wonder Woman. The Green Lanterns. And in the lead-

_Batman._

Before anyone made a move, Diane spoke. "Knock me out."

Shock registered on all of their faces except her friend's mentor. Most of them looked at each other, eyebrows furrowed and confusion clouding their minds. She was an enemy. She was giving them the chance to take her out of the equation. They needed to do as she said!

She met the stare of the Batman as he inspected her calmly. She let him read her desperation and worry. "Knock me out." She repeated.

He didn't hesitate this time. If she weren't half-machine, she would have missed the batarang as it went flying toward the human half of her face, hitting her square in the temple. She smiled in thanks.

On her way down to the hard floor, she faintly realized that Slade would see this later on as he checked the security cameras and punish her. But she didn't care. Her friend needed her. And there was nothing that could stop her from helping him in his time of need.

She didn't know that Batman had hacked them already so that Slade would never see the tape.

As Diane fell into unconsciousness, she could feel her friend's release from his own personal nightmare.

_He deserved it._


End file.
